Hamrin Elisabeth, Ernerudh Jan, Rosén Anders
Complement Med Res. 2018;25(6):391-397. doi: 10.1159/000490049. Epub 2018 Aug 27.
Previous studies showed that women with breast cancer treated in anthroposophic clinic versus conventional care had increased quality of life (QoL) parameters, fighting spirit, and anxiety coping. We have now analyzed immune and QoL factors in these 2 groups for possible differences during the first 6 months after admission, prompted by anthroposophic studies, including mistletoe extracts, showing beneficial immune system effects.
Fourteen immunological variables, including leukocyte count, lymphocyte count, activated T cells (CD4+ and CD8+), NK cells, B cells, IL1β, IL6, IL10, and oxytocin, were longitudinally analyzed in both groups (n = 2 × 26). A panel of QoL parameters were analyzed using 3 different instruments. Statistical evaluation included that each patient was its own control.
Cytotoxic CD8+ T cell frequency (percent of lymphocytes analyzed by flow-cytometry) significantly decreased over time in the anthroposophic group versus the conventional group (repeated measures ANOVA, p = 0.05). No major differences were observed in other immunological parameters, whereas QoL variables, anxiety decreased and physical symptoms increased/improved significantly in the anthroposophic group (p = 0.04 and p = 0.05, respectively).
Overall, women with breast cancer in anthroposophic or conventional therapy did not differ in their immune profiles over time, with exception of decreased cytotoxic T cells in the anthroposophic group. Improvement in physical symptoms along with less anxiety in this group may have influenced the brain-immune axis resulting in lower frequency of CD8+ T cells, a feature associated with less aggressive cancer stages. To evaluate whether this observation is associated with good or bad prognosis, further detailed analyses of memory and naïve CD8+ T cells at tumor site and in blood circulation are essential.
先前的研究表明，与接受传统治疗的乳腺癌女性相比，在人智学诊所接受治疗的女性生活质量（QoL）参数、斗志和焦虑应对能力有所提高。受包括槲寄生提取物在内的人智学研究显示出有益的免疫系统效应的启发，我们现在分析了这两组在入院后头6个月内免疫和生活质量因素可能存在的差异。
对两组（n = 2×26）纵向分析了14个免疫变量，包括白细胞计数、淋巴细胞计数、活化T细胞（CD4+和CD8+）、自然杀伤细胞、B细胞、IL1β、IL6、IL10和催产素。使用3种不同的工具分析了一组生活质量参数。统计评估包括每个患者作为自身对照。
与传统组相比，人智学组的细胞毒性CD8+ T细胞频率（通过流式细胞术分析的淋巴细胞百分比）随时间显著下降（重复测量方差分析，p = 0.05）。在其他免疫参数方面未观察到重大差异，而生活质量变量方面，人智学组的焦虑程度降低，身体症状显著增加/改善（分别为p = 0.04和p = 0.05）。
总体而言，接受人智学或传统治疗的乳腺癌女性随时间推移其免疫特征没有差异，但人智学组的细胞毒性T细胞减少。该组身体症状的改善以及焦虑程度的降低可能影响了脑-免疫轴，导致CD8+ T细胞频率降低，这一特征与侵袭性较低的癌症阶段相关。为了评估这一观察结果与预后好坏是否相关，对肿瘤部位和血液循环中的记忆性和初始CD8+ T细胞进行进一步详细分析至关重要。
